de lautour



Feb. 3, 1931. F. DE LAUTOUR FOUR-STROKE CYCLE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22 INVENTOR /I VC/S DE BY v Ln aw.-

ATTORNEY Feb. 3, 1931. F. DE LAUTOUR FOUR-STROKE CYCLE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ffl/VC/S 12E 1 A urea/e ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1931 Y onirso STATES 'PEAT runners on LAUroUn, or WELLINGTON, NEW zEALAnD FOUR-STROKE-GYCLE INTERNAL C O MB'USTION ENGINE Application filed June 22, 1928, Serial No. 287,404, and. in Great Britain September :12, 1927.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines of the four-stroke cycle type.

One object of my invention is to provide improvedmeans for the admission of air to the cylinder from apassage through which air is continuously passed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a single valve for the escape or" exhaust gases and for the admission of air and to provide a passage for'the continuous supply of air past the back of such valve.

.21 still further objectis the provision of means whereby a swirling motion is given to the air supplied to the cylinder.

According to my invention a passage is provided at the head of each cylinder and is in direct communication with the exhaust pipe and is constantly traversed by a current of air at high velocity, forced or induced by a pump or fan.

A valve provided in the passage, when open, allows the air to enter the combustion space of the cylinder and the same valve allows the exhaust gases to flow into the passage whence they are led directly to the exhaust pipe or to the atmosphere. The said valve is open during the exhaust stroke and also during the time at which the air for combustion is admitted to the cylinder.

The fuel charge is separately, supplied either before or during the compression stroke of the engine.

The air admission and exhaust valve is positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis of the cylinder in such a position that the admitted air is deflected to the wall of the cyliir" der and is set into swirling motion.

In the ordinary arrangement of internal combustion engines dificulty arises in open ing and closing the valves of comparatively large lift with sufficient rapidity, but the relatively long period during which the air admis sion and exhaust valve is open in the present lnvention obviates this diiiiculty.

The arrangement according to the invention is particularly adapted for use with en gines described in my prior Patent No. 1,680,505, dated August 1 1, 1928, in which the fuel gases are expanded during the suction stroke and by the whirling motion set up on rangement of valves.

the cylinder.

entering the cylinders are deflected against the cylinder wall from which they absorb heat during the process of expansion.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically means for exhausting the combustion products and admitting air for combustion according to the invention for fourstroke cycle internal combustion engines Fig.1 is a vertical section ofa cylinder pro- 'vided with fuel inlet and exhaust valves of the poppet type;

Fig. 2 isaplanof the air inletandezrhaust ducts of a multi-cylinder engine with poppet valves Fig. 3 is a vertical: sectionf'of part of a multi cylin der engine provided with sleeve valves; Y V a Fig. .4 is a plan showingthe inlet and exhaustfduots of the multi-cylinder engine with p V sleeve valves; p p n Fig. 5 shows a detail of the air admission;

and

through thebranch ducts E E 15?, E over the heads of the cylinders A A A A and into the common exhaust duct G. During the 1 NT OFFICE; I

In Fig. 2 the air supplied by the flows through. thecommon duct E and exhauststroke of each cylinder the valve C- isopen and the products of combustion are carried to the duct G by the air. current'passing, through the branch duct; and during i the suction stroke (or atleast a portion thereof);the valveC remains open to perm'itthe admission ofair from the said branch duct to The eccentric position of the valves'C with respect to. the axes of the cylinders and the arrangement of the branch ducts causes a swirling motion to tbe imparted to the'air;

which causes it to flow in contact with the walls of the cylinders.

A valve M in the duct E enables the flow of air to be stopped at any time.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, sliding sleeves H have fuel inlet ports I and air inlet ports J; while K and L represent the corresponding ports in the cylinder walls A. r V

The adjacent pair of cylinders A A and A, A are supplied by a branch ductN or N since the airinlet'ports wouldnotbe-open in the adjacent cylinders at the same time.

A blocking member can'be inserted-in'the air duct opposite the air port ofa cylinder, so that the air enters the port in the sleeve valve on one side of a .blockand leaves the port on the other side of the block.

Fig. 5 shows ablockO as provided in the common duct between two adjacent cylinders.

An auxiliary exhaust valve with separate exhaust passage may, if it is 'founddesirable, be provided in order to obtain a very-quiet exhaust. The valve would be arranged to open immediately before the main-exhaust valve and might be operated by the same cam and levers.

Fig. 6 shows an enginehaving a fuelsupply valve 1, a valve 2 for the escape of the exhaust gases and for the admissionof ;air, and an auxiliary exhaust valve 3 adapted to open immediately before the said valve;'% and communicating with a separate exhaust ,passage 4. r

Fig. 7 shows .a multi-cylinder engine having an arrangement of valves 1, 2, and 3similarto that shown at*F ig. 6.

What I claim is 1. A four-stroke multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprising an air passage, an exhaust pipe, ,a plurality of air ducts extending between the saichpassageandpipe,

gases to said passage and the admission of air to saidcylinder, anaau-xiliaryiexhaust passage, and an auxiliary exhaust valve opening 'into'the latter passage and adapted to open immediatelyibeforeithetfirstimentioned valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to:this specification;

aFR-ANGIS DE LAUTOUR.

means for continuously passing ahigh veloc- I ity .current of ,air through said passage, ducts and :pipe ,and a valve for ,each cylinder for controlling communication between the cylinder and the adjacent ductand located .so

as to deflecttowards ,the cylinder walls air admitted to the cylinder from the duct.

" 2. A four-stroke multiecyli nder internal combustion engine, comprising an air pasjsage,,-a;n exhaustgpipe,.apluralityof air ducts extending between the saidpassage and-pipe. a fan forcontinuously passing a .current .of

' --air.at .a high velocity :through said passage,

ducts andexhaustpipe, and valves for controllingcommunic ation between ,the cylinders and the said ducts, and fordefiecting .admitted air againstthe internal side walls of the cylinders.

3. A four-stroke cycle internal .combustion engine comprising a cylinder, :an air passage adjacent thereto, .a single valve "for controlling the exhaust .of .the .combustion gases ,to said passage and the-admission of air to said cylinder, and an auxiliary valve for 

